Invasive North American beavers in Southern Patagonia, Ecology, History and Folklore

Derek Corcoran derek.corcoran.barrios@gmail.com
2016-09-28

Tierra del Fuego

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Tierra del Fuego

  • Very uniform and cool weather
  • Average high warm month 59 F
  • Average low coldest month 30 F
  • 18,572 sq mi

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Wind the prevailing force

isotherms

Wind the prevailing force

bended tree

Tierra del Fuego

isotherms

Tierra del Fuego

Steppe

Tierra del Fuego

Forest

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Pinguinos

North American beaver (Castor canadensis)

  • Invasive species in Asia, Europe and South America
  • Ecosystem engineer
  • Reproduces once a year
  • Monogamus, territorial and parental care of 3 years

Beaver

History of beavers in Tierra del Fuego

  • 20 beavers were released in argentina Fagnano Lake (1946)
  • Since then they have colonized the continent and archipielago
  • More than 150,000 beavers in Patagonia
  • Human population in the region is 164,661

Beavers

Effects of beavers in the environment

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Effects of beavers in the environment

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Effects of beavers in the environment

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Fitness patterns

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Fitness patterns

  • Time consuming
  • Hard to replicate
  • Almost impossible in rare species
  • Need to be able to detect the species
  • Species might be there but not detected
  • false absences might bias estimates

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Fitness patterns

  • Time consuming
  • Hard to replicate
  • Almost impossible in rare species
  • Need to be able to detect the species
  • Species might be there but not detected
  • false absences might bias estimates

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Fitness patterns

  • Time consuming
  • Hard to replicate
  • Almost impossible in rare species
  • Need to be able to detect the species
  • Species might be there but not detected
  • false absences might bias estimates

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Beaver Folklore

  • Detection is usually not perfect
  • Depends on:
    • Species
    • Season
    • Observer
    • Method
    • Weather

zombeavers